We have all heard the story about how a happy customer tells one person but an unhappy customer tells EVERYONE.  That may be an over simplification but still worth bearing in mind for anyone involved in customer service.  And, who isn’t in the service business anyway?  If you are a business owner then you have an end user.  Did you catch that?  I referred to your customer as an “end user.”  How cold and impersonal is that?  If a term like this doesn’t cause you some concern then you have a long way to go in relation to how you regard the people who purchase your services. 

Client, customer, consumer, patron are all acceptable terms but don’t forget these are real people with real needs and feelings.  They naturally feel their needs are the most important thing there is and they expect you to share that feeling. 

Ok, so you have customers but how do you keep them and how do you get more?  First and foremost you have to be easy to do business with.  That means you, or the person who can help them, must be accessible.  Once they reach the person who can help them then assistance needs to happen immediately or within a reasonable timeframe.  Every industry and every product or service has built in time requirements and these need to be communicated clearly to the customer and as early in the process as possible.  Be careful not to let policies and red tape get in the way of delivering timely service!

Another key factor to keeping your customers happy is getting to know them.  You absolutely have to understand what makes them tick.  Step out of your role of being the boss or business owner because you can’t take this tactic with this group of people.  You are there to serve them.  If you understand them then you can anticipate their needs.  When you anticipate needs and provide service before it is needed then you will increase your customer loyalty. 

If you don’t really understand your clients all you have to do is talk to them.  Ask them what is important to them.  What don’t they like?  What must they have?  Then sit back and listen to the voice of the customer.  They will be more than happy to talk about themselves and tell you what their expectations are.  Now it’s up to you to deliver.  Maybe something they need is not within your area of expertise.  That doesn’t mean you can’t make the right connections for them.  Provide the contacts they need and they will never forget you.  They will tell all their friends too.

Stay tuned for more on creating happy customers and customer service issues in future posts.

Loree